The Weird, The Strange And The Zodiacs?
by xXEmiShaeXx
Summary: First off; I have psycho stalker-cats that follow me around. Second; I was forced to move to Japan. Third; said psycho cats were how I came to know the Sohma family secret. Man was I in for a wild ride.
1. Stalker cats

_**READ!: Sorry but the Sohma's don't come in until the next chapter! I also am not fond of honorifics so I shall not use them. **_

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Or the characters. I just own Addison...And Maria..._**  
**_

**The Weird, The Strange, And The…Zodiacs?**

**Chapter One: **

**Stalker Cats **

"_C__ome_ _on Addison!" _

My friend Maria begged me as we walked down my street.

"No."

"But it's going to be the biggest party of the year! You can't miss it!"

"I can and I will."

"You can't be this anti social for the rest of your life. It isn't normal."

"Who said I was normal?"

"True."

"Anyway, you're the social butterfly, not me." I told her as I stopped at my house. "And you didn't have to walk me home again y'know. I'm a big girl." I added as I unlocked my door.

"I know…It's just…I wanted to make sure you were okay. Ever since…You" here she paused to clear her throat, "just haven't been yourself lately." She murmured as she looked at me with her eyebrows furrowed. I paused, my back turned to her. I knew what she was going to say. _Ever since your mom died… _I shook that thought off and forced a smile.

"I'm fine." I said my back still turned to her.

"Are you sure…" She trailed off as I turned back around.

"I'm fabulous. Really. Go. Have fun at your party. I'll be fine." I gave her a small smile.

Her eyebrows were still furrowed but she nodded, "If you need me call my cell." I nodded absently as I closed the door. I turned around to face the empty house. With my uncle gone I'd be by myself. You see my mom died a few weeks ago. Leukemia. I had lived with her all my life. So naturally I was placed in my uncles care. That just leaves one question. Why my uncle? Why not my father? Well, he split when I was about 5. Haven't seen him since. But since I'm 16 now I figure that I don't need him. Well, there's probably more that you need to know about me. Like my name.

Last name; Road, yeah it's weird. Get over it. First name; Addison. Yes that's usually a boy's name. But once again I tell you: get over it. I'm 16, my mom died, my dad, as far as I'm concerned, is dead, and I'm pretty much walking on eggshells. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that my life sucks…Just that it's getting harder. My best friend is Maria Castillo. She has thick straight hair that's white blond on the top and a dirty blond on the bottom which flows to her waist, and bright river blue eyes, with a smallish girly-looking shaped face and cupids bow lips, with a light tan on her arms and legs. Yeah. She's one of those bomb shell blonds. But, thankfully, she doesn't boast about it. I guess since I described her I should describe myself. My hair is curly to the point where it's almost unmanageable, and a strawberry blond color with blond streaks that brush my shoulders. My eyes are an interesting stormy bluish-gray color that look silver when I get mad. My face (according to Maria) is heart shaped and (also according to Maria) I have nice full lips. I also have braces which, according to Maria, make me look 'sooooo cuuuttee!' I think they just made it a real pain to feed myself. Really. I have to cut stuff up into tiny pieces and feed it to myslef. My skin color? As white as snow. Really. And I'm not all that tall for 16. 5 ft., maybe, and it would be stretching it, 5`1. Maria was 5`4. I also have a lot of animals. Cats mostly. Strange for a girl who's allergic to them. However, almost all of them were mom's, not mine. The only one that was really mine was Bud. Bud is a lithe orange striped cat with one blue eye and one green one. Typically he's very anti social. He doesn't even like the other cats. I also have other animals though. I have a dog named George who had the colorings of a Rottweiler but really looks like a wiener dog, just not as fat. And I have a rabbit. She's white with red eyes and she likes to cause trouble. I named her Bonnie. Was I forgetting anything…? Oh. Yeah. And I can talk to animals. Surprised? Yeah. It's sorta like Dr. Doolittle. Only I don't know jack about helping injured animals. I can only talk to them. That's pretty much all it's good for. To be honest all of the extra voices in my house during the nighttime tend to give me a headache.

"SHE'S HOME!" I heard George shout as I entered the living room. As I looked up from my shoes I saw George jumping up and down excitedly. Dogs. So very easily excited. And eccentric.

"Shut up you stupid dog. Can't you see that she's stressed?" Bud asked as he sauntered into the room his gait lazy and laid back. George stopped hopping.

"Sorry." He said quietly. I waved my hand as if to say it was fine. I chucked my backpack on the couch and stepped into the kitchen. I fixed all of the animals their dinner and set them down on the floor.

"Hey your uncle left a message for you about an hour ago." I heard Bonnie's high pitched voice sound as she glanced up from her carrot sticks.

"Thanks." I muttered as I jogged to the living room where, sure enough, the red light was flashing on the message machine. I pressed play.

"Hey Adds." The machine crackled, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm in Paris. And that you should start packing…I know that I should have warned you before hand and I'm sorry but…We're moving to Japan. Or…At least you are. You're going to live with family there. I know this must be a shock to you but…Well, the courts don't think I'm fit to take care of you. They think I'm gone too often. Everyone here was trying to figure something out. That was when someone suggested the Hondas. From what I was told, they're having you live with a girl named Tohru. This Tohru lost her mother too, so everyone agreed that it would be best. She lives with a family named the Sohma's and given the circumstances they have agreed to let you stay there. It won't be forever. I'll fight to get you back. You'll be there a month tops. I already let Marias' family know. They said that they'd let Maria visit soon. It won't be so bad. Your flight leaves at six, and all you have to do is tell the people at the airport your name and they'll give you your ticket. I'll arrange for your animals to be sent later. I'm sorry and I love you. Bye Adds." Then there was a click and an automated voice came on. I didn't really hear it though. Japan. I was moving to Japan.

"Great. I heard the cats in Japan were stuck up." Bud meowed.

Could life seriously get any worse? With that thought I mechanically went up stairs and packed all of my clothes. By the time I was done it was 4:20. I grabbed my wallet said my farewells to the animals and headed to the airport knowing that I had an extremely long night ahead of me.

* * *

***Several Hours Later***

"Thanks." I muttered to the cab driver as I tossed him some money, he grunted and then sped off. I watched him go. I had long ago lost the numb feeling I received when I had listened to my uncles message. Now…I was pretty much just pissed off. The cabbie had dropped me off on the edge of some kind of forest. I stepped onto the path and started walking. It was morning here about nine or ten. I was still simpering over how just about everyone loved screwing me over, when I felt I was being watched. I had this irrational fear and I looked over my shoulder. Nothing. I shuddered. What if a psychotic murderer lived around here? Great. Now I was just scaring myself. I gripped my bags tighter and walked faster with my head held down. The feeling increased. I was about to round a corner when I heard voices. I froze. When the voices came closer I instinctively hid behind a bush.

"Their waves. So strange." A dull girls voice sounded as two girls rounded the corner.

"Hana. You and your wave reports." A tall girl with longish blond hair that covered her left eye said as she shook her head.

"Yes, well, I just want to make sure Tohru is being taken good care of." The girl named Hana said. Hana had dark green hair in a side braid over her left shoulder.

"I don't think we have to worry too much. They obviously know her. I think the Prince and Orangey can take care of her." The blond girl said, sureness in her voice.

"I think you're right Uo, I think you're right…" The girl named Hana's voice trailed off as they walked out of my hearing range. What an odd conversation. They mentioned a Tohru…Maybe it was the Tohru Honda I was looking for? Perhaps. I sighed as I stood up out of my crouch, stretched and then went on along the path. As I turned the corner I saw a house. It was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. As I took another step towards the strange house I heard a meowing sound and froze. I turned around slowly. At what I saw my eye twitched. A fairly large group of mangy looking stray cats were slowly closing in on me. Man.

"Addison Road? Hello, I'm Leo." A big male tabby asked me while stepping forward. My eye twitched again.

"How do you know my name?" I asked while inching backwards more. They kept coming near me.

"Word spreads fast when an Animal Talker moves into town. Animal Talker's are rare, real rare." Leo said.

"Yeah. Well, I can't help you and treat injuries or anything like that, so…" I trailed off as I backed up faster.

"We don't want you to treat injuries. We just wanted to talk to you." Leo flicked his tail and at this (which I guessed was some kind of command) all of the cats pounced on me, knocking me to the ground and making me hit my head hard on the compacted dirt. The impact with the ground jarred my body. I groaned as cats climbed all over me.

"WHY CAN'T ANY OF YOU EVER UNDERSTAND? I CAN NOT HELP YOU! IN FACT I SUCK AT HELPING ANIMALS! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted way too loud. Leo seemed to grin.

"Now you've done it. The half-bloods are going to come and investigate." Leo swung his head from side to side as I heard a gasp sound from behind me. "Just remember that we're here Animal Talker, and that we'll be watching." Then Leo did something strange, even for my standards (Which are high, because I deal with a whole lot of strange in my life). He pressed the pad of his right front paw to my forehead, shocking me into immobility.

"What are you cats doing to that poor girl?" A highly worried girls voice sounded from my shoulder. Leo jumped off and the other cats followed in suit like they were his shadow.

Leo's gang ran off into the bushes hiding there. Leo paused halfway there and turned around to face me.

"A word for the wise: things are not always what they appear. Remember that. You'll need it soon. Very soon." Leo turned around.

"WAIT! What's that suppose to mean?" I called after him in frustration. He paused to give me a grin and then took off into the forest. As much as I would've liked to sit there, balk at Leo, agonize over my crazy life and my apparent stalker cats, I couldn't.

In front of me stood a girl.

In retrospect I totally would've gone with the stalker cats instead of what would happened next.

* * *

**A/n: Hey there readers! This is (amazingly) my first Fruits Basket fanfic. I've been working on it for some time and the first chapter ended up being too long (25 pgs) so I decided to split it up. So yes, I have the second chapter…And I'm holding it hostage until I get at least one review! Please? Don't make me beg… **

**~ XOXO EmiShae **


	2. Weirdo Japanese Names

**Chapter Two: **

**Weirdo Japanese names**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters…Though they are coming over for a sleep over soon… :]**

_Review from last chapter:_

"_WAIT! What's that suppose to mean?" I called after him in frustration. He paused to give me a grin and then took off into the forest. As much as I would've liked to sit there, balk at Leo, agonize over my crazy life and my apparent stalker cats, I couldn't. _

_In front of me stood a girl. _

_In retrospect I totally would've gone with the stalker cats instead of what would happened next. _

* * *

"Oh! Are you okay? Those cats! I haven't seen them before but…They were pinning you down and…Oh! Did they hurt you? Do you have any scratches? Oh here! Let me help you up!" A girl with long brown hair and big blue eyes said as she grabbed my right hand and yanked me up. That actually did more harm than good but I wasn't about to tell her that. She stared at me worry plain in her eyes.

"Come inside! We were just eating breakfast so you can sit down in the living room and I'll do something…And you can have…Breakfast with us!" The girl said nervously as she shuffled her feet.

"Uhh…" It seemed that she was waiting for me to say something so I continued, "I'm okay…The cats didn't really hurt me all that much…Really. I was mainly surprised since they sort of tackled me…But other than that they didn't do anything to hurt me…And I wouldn't want to intrude on you and your family so…" I trailed off as I fiddled with my black Anarbor concert T-shirt. The baggy faded black cargo pants I had on were covered in dirt from my fall so I dusted them off in nervousness.

"They…Tackled you?" She asked in surprise.

"Well…Yeah. They sort of came out of nowhere and pounced on me, efficiently knocking me off balance, which isn't really that hard to do." I admitted.

"That's strange. And that one big cat…He placed a paw on your forehead, that was odd." She observed.

I sighed, "Story of my life."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow…"

"It's okay not many people do." She gave me a pleasant smile. "Well…Bye then…" I muttered as I turned around and attempted to walk away with my bag. My ankle forbade me to do so apparently. As soon as I put my weight on it, it gave out. My right knee hit the ground as I fought the urge to gasp in pain.

"Oh no! You _are_ hurt! Oh! You should come inside!" The girl said as she fluttered her hands about me in a fruitless attempt to help me. I closed my eyes for a moment as I breathed through my mouth to try and ignore the pain in my ankle. How the hell did a bunch of cats do this to my ankle? I forced myself to stand and leaned heavily on my left leg. I gripped my bag so tight that the skin on my knuckles were straining against the bone.

"I'm…Fine. I should be going now anyway…" I said while giving her a forced smile.

The girl frowned, "Oh no! I couldn't possibly let you leave now! You're hurt! At least let me…Help you with your ankle." The girl said softly pleading with me with her big blue eyes. Anyone else and I would have said 'no' and walked away. But this girl…She seemed different.

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" I trailed off.

"Nonsense! I think it's a wonderful idea!" A light guys voice sounded from directly behind me. I tensed up and turned around as fast as I could. (Which wasn't fast since my ankle was throbbing and burned like someone was holding a flat iron against it.) Through my blurred pain-filled vision I saw a man. He was fairly tall with black hair, fair colored skin, and dark eyes.

"See! Now come on in! We'll have you walking in no time!" The girl exclaimed while gently taking my bag from me with her right hand, she wrapped her left arm around my waist to support half of my weight.

"But I don't want to cause any trouble…" I protested weakly as I hobbled up the steps of the strange house.

"Oh you'd cause us no trouble at all! I'm happy to help!" The girl said cheerfully.

"Okay…I guess." I said reluctantly as we hobbled through the doorway. I saw the shoes lined up by the door… "You take your shoes off before stepping on the carpet?" I asked as I counted two pairs of shoes plus the ones the girl and the dark haired man added.

The girl looked up and paused, "Well, yes…Oh! But you don't have to! Your ankle is hurt! You can just walk in!" She said assuredly.

"No, no." I said while shaking my head as I bent down.

"Oh, but you don't have to!"

"I want to."

"You…Want to?" She asked in confusion. I nodded.

"I'm from America. Might as well learn the customs now right?" I mused aloud as I slid my left shoe off easily. "This is the beauty of slip on Vans." I murmured as, with a gentle hand, I ripped off my shoe. **(A/n: Yes I realize that was a major contradiction…)** Like a band aid. The pain was so sudden in my foot that tears burned at the back of my eyes. "Ouch." I said in a strained voice as I clenched my jaw to keep from whimpering. The girl's worried expression increased as we slowly made it to the living-room-like place in their house. With amazing gentleness she helped me sit down on the grownd. My right leg was stretched out in front of me while my left leg was leaned to the side.

"Stay right here. I'll go get some ice for your ankle." She said as she dissappeared through another door. I stared at my right foot. I reached towards it and peeled back the black sock as I rolled up the right pant leg of my black cargo pants with the other hand. It was swollen and angry looking. Fabulous.

"It was very unfortunate for you to have hurt your ankle so bad." The man with the black hair observed.

"Man, you don't know the half of it." I muttered darkly. He was about to reply when the girl came back into the room.

"Here's your ice. Oh! And I brought you some nice warm tea." She placed the ice on my swollen ankle and then held the tea out to me. I wasn't particulary keen of hot tea, but I was a guest so I figured I couldn't refuse it. I gave her a small smile as I sipped the tea she had made for me. An awkward silence ensued. I was about to break it when I heard shuffling in the kitchen, along with a muffled thump.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing that you have to worry about." The dark haired man said pleasantly. I pursed my lips and was about to question him further when I heard shouting.

"DAMN RAT! COME ON! FIGHT ME!" I heard a boys voice shreik. I gave the girl a confused look. But she wasn't looking at me. She was staring off in a different direction with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you sure it's no-" I was cut off as something smacked into me. Hard…And sent me flying across the room into a rice paper wall…Which promptly…Broke. When whoever it was knocked into me, it twisted my ankle the wrong way and the pain it caused my ankle made me see stars.

"Why does the whole world plot to destroy my house?" I heard the man with the black hair ask, right before I heard the girl gasp. I opened my eyes and found…That a strange boy was lying on top of me.

"Are you okay?" I heard the girl ask someone, she was probably talking to me but I didn't respond. I was too busy staring into said boys' strange reddish-brown eyes. His eyes were wide and he looked shocked. The throbbing in my ankle got worse. During the amount of time it had taken for me to fly across the room, I had apparently clutched onto the boy. In fact, I was sorta hugging him. I was sure I was blushing. I was horrible at hiding blushes. I took a moment to look around the room. Shocked faces. Strange. Why were they so shocked…? I didn't have time to debate with myself. With a tightly controlled movement I dropped my arms. I stared at him for a moment before addressing him.

"Um…I don't mean to be rude…But…Could you please get off of me?" I asked in a clipped tone. Red bloomed on his cheeks as he jumped off of me hitting my ankle in the process. I closed my eyes and didn't move. Everyone hated my ankle today…

"Uh…Are you okay…?" I heard the girl ask. Her voice was high. In worry?

"Peachy." I said in a strained voice.

"Do you need help getting up…?" She asked.

"Nope." I didn't make a move to get up.

"Are you going to get up?" I recognized the black haired man's voice this time.

"Eventually." A couple of moments passed in complete silence. I sighed as I heard someone shuffeling their feet. I opened my eyes and with some effort, managed to get myslef in a sort of sitting posistion; my left leg was tucked under me, while my right leg was stretched completely out. I shoved my curly bangs behind my ears with a bit too much force.

"Are you in pain…? Oh! What was I thinking _of course you're in pain! _I mean your ankle was already hurt…And then you were knocked almost completely into another room…You're probably in a lot of pain." The girl babbled. I glanced down at my right ankle. Remember when I said it was swollen and angry looking? Yeah. Well…Now it was even more swollen, turning black and blue, and…I can't move it as easily. Friggin' great. I reached toward my foot and poked it. Pain electrocuted my leg. I clenched my teeth.

"Hey...Can you hand me my bag?" I asked no one in particular. My bangs had fallen back into my eyes but this time I didn't try to restrain them.

"Oh! Of course! But…Your ankle…Shouldn't we call a doctor?" The girl asked as I heard something land near my left hand. I shook my head as I reached inside the carry on and rummaged around a bit until I found what I was looking for. My first aid kit. You never know when it invovles me. I popped it open and grabbed the Ace bandage inside. As gently as I could I wrapped it around my ankle. One slow, agonizing, loop at a time. It seemed like it had taken me hours to wrap my foot. Must have been the pain. As I stared at the ground, while clamping the clamp down so that the bandage wouldn't come off, I saw something wet hit the floor. Then I felt something wet slid down my face. Tears? I had started crying without even knowing it. Swell.

Slowly I put the first aid kit away and zipped up my bag.

"Miss?" I heard the girls voice ask in worry. I looked up at her. It was a reflex reaction. She saw me and her eyes widened. "Oh no! You're crying! It must _really _hurt if you're crying!" She cried as she stared at me.

"Huh?" I asked innocently as I swiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Oh! We should call a doctor! I knew it-" I cut her off.

"I don't need a doctor…Really. By the way it feels it's only a hairline fracture. My ankle's not broken." I reassured her with a small stressed smile.

_At least not completely__… _My inner voice reminded me.

Shut up inner voice. Always so damn negative…Or nagging.

"But! Oh…A hairline fracture sounds bad! I thought it was just a sprain! I didn't know that those cats had hurt you so much…" She trailed off. When she mentioned the cats the black haired mans eyebrows raised in amusement.

My eye twicthed, "It _was_ just a sprain…Until your friend here sent me flying across the room and landed on top of me, with my already damaged ankle twisted in an odd way." I said nodding.

"Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorry! Maybe we can-"

"I'll be fine. I'll probably just have to wear a brace for the next few weeks…That's all." I gave her a tired smile. The girl fidgeted nervously. Then silence. Awkward silence.

"Well…I'd better be going." I said as I forced myself, with almost all of my strength, to get up. I then leaned heavily on my left leg. Ow. Pain. Pain. Searing pain. And I was gonna have to walk like this? Oi.

"Going? You can't go anywhere Miss! You're hurt! And you shouldn't get up! You could hurt yourself more! I think you need rest!" She said in a cheery/worried kinda way.

"Uh…Actually I have people that are probably expecting me soon…And I still have a while to walk I bet. At least five miles with my luck…" I added under my breath. The three guys in the room seemed to have heard me…They were half-way across the room. They weren't suppose to hear that at all. Maybe I was imagined things…?

"You can't walk with a…A…Hairrhine? Hairline…Fracture? Yes! Hairline fracture! You can't walk with that!" She exclaimed in worry.

I shrugged, "Been through worse."

"Eh? What's worse than that?" She asked. I blinked at her.

"Many many things." Was the answer I gave her. I didn't want to relive any of those 'things' I had mentioned. They were horrible memories that I did not want resurfacing.

"Okay…If you say so…But I still don't think you should walk! Maybe we could call Hatori and he can give you a ride!" The girl suggested. Hatori? Weirdo Japanese names. I'd have a hard time pronouncing them.

"Uh…I wouldn't want to…Be a burden…" I trailed off.

"Oh you wouldn't be a burden! Not at all! Like I said before I'm happy to help!" She gave me a 100 watt smile. Was she always this cheerful? She reminded me of my mom…When she was in remission…She was always just so…Happy. "Oh! And won't you tell us why you're in Japan? You said you were from America right?" She asked me in excitement. I pressed my lips together. Slowly, I nodded my head.

"Yeah. I'm moving here from New York City. I'm in Japan because…Well, my family just thought that it would be best. I was living with my uncle, but he's gone a lot because of business, so he made arrangements for me to live here for a while." I explained ommitting the parts about my mom dying and my father not being around. The girl furrowed her eyebrows at me.

"Really?" She asked. I nodded.

"Just out of curiousity…Where exactly is the house you're suppose to be staying at?" The man with the black hair asked.

I shrugged. "Not exactly sure. Somewhere around here." I muttered as I glanced around. There was a second boy about my age standing near the entrance to the kitchen. He had light silver hair, with big amethyst colored eyes. He actually looked sort of girlish. If I wasn't in so much pain at the present moment I probably would've asked him what the deal was. Really, I was in so much pain that I didn't even notice the suspicious and shocked glances they were all shooting my way.

"Oh, you must be mistaken." The girl said her eyebrows furrowed, "All of the area around here is Sohma property." She murmured.

Sohma…Property? Wait a minute…Then it clicked. Those two girls that I overheard in the woods, they were talking about…

"You're…You're Tohru Honda!" I blurted the first thing that came to mind. The girl, Tohru, stared at me in surprise.

Oh, yes.

This was turning out to be a _very_ interesting day.

* * *

**A/n: Hello again! I'm delighted for being able to update again so soon! A special thanks to xxPARISxx for being my first reviewer! Thanks bunches! So, just press the green button…And R&R. Please. I have the next chapter. All you have to do is review…**

**xxPARISxx: First off I'd like to thank you for your review. Second thank you also for your advice about description. (I realized it was dragged out). And to answer your question…I'm really not sure what's up with the freaky stalker cats yet. I do have an idea though…I'd tell you but…Then it'd spoil it for you. Thanks again. **

**~ XOXO EmiShae**


	3. Holy Freakin' Crap Maria's Psychic?

**Chapter Three: **

**Holy Freakin' Crap. Maria's psychic? **

_Review from last chapter: _

"_You're…You're Tohru Honda!" I blurted the first thing that came to mind. The girl, Tohru, stared at me in surprise. _

_Oh, yes. _

_This was turning out to be a _very_ interesting day. _

* * *

"Y-Yes…But how…?" She trailed off. I shot her a relieved smile as I glanced around at the other three men in the room. They all looked just as surprised.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say that you're the Sohmas then, huh?" I asked still smiling. Slow nods. Carefully, I lowered myself gently to the ground and I lay down, stretching out, and crossing my arms behind my head, I peered up at a shocked Tohru. "Thank God I stumbled upon you guys. I would've had to walk with that" I pointed towards my right foot, "all the way here if I hadn't found you the way I did." Strange how things work out sometimes.

Tohru's eyes were troubled, "I'm sorry but…I don't seem to know who you are…Though it seems you know me…" She trailed off as she blushed.

"That's cool. You wouldn't recognize me or anything. I understand. I only knew your name…Well that and…" I trailed off as I started to think a little bit harder.

"And what?" The black haired guy prompted me when there was a long pause.

I squinted up at Tohru, "That and…You look like my mom…" I gave her a small sad smile as I fought the urge to cry. Crying did nothing. It was useless. Plus, it didn't make a very good first impression either.

_Because the impression you _are_ making is so flawless, right? _My inner voice shot back.

Oh, just shut the flock up. (Yes I used "flock" as opposed to a different word I think we all know…I'm weird like that. So sue me.)

"I'm sorry, I don't understand…I look like your mom?" Tohru asked concentrating hard on my face, searching it for clues. I nodded, as I extended my right hand straight up in the air. She stared at it in confusion. I blinked. Oh…

"Right." I lowered my hand as I put it back beneath my head. "Sorry. Instant reflex when I first meet someone. Not use to Japanese customs yet." Her eyes lit with understanding as she nodded. "I'd sit up and bow to you and stuff…But I'm sorta in pain. So…" I trailed off. The girl nodded rapidly.

"Oh, of course! You don't have to sit up!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah. Wish I could. Really. Nice first impression right?" I tacked on with a small smirk.

All of the people in the room surrounded me now. The black haired man raised an eyebrow at me.

"First impression?" He asked in amusement.

"Yep. By the way…Do you have a first name?" I asked. He beamed down at me.

"So very glad you asked my little Azalea!" He paused to grin at me. Azalea…? "I'm Shigure Sohma, and that clumsy orange-haired boy that landed on you, ungracefully I might add, is Kyo Sohma my cousin. Oh and the boy who hasn't said anything is my other handsome cousin Yuki Sohma." He smiled cheerfully. I nodded to Yuki first. He smiled kindly at me and though I was still blurry from pain, I couldn't help but notice that his smile was a bit off. And that bit that was off suggested that it was fake. I shook myself mentally. There I go over-analyzing people again…Then I turned my head towards the one named Kyo.

He stared at me as if unsure of what to do. He nodded to me so slightly I wasn't even sure I had seen it. I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't very social…But neither was I. Who was I to judge?

"I'm Addison—Addison Road by the way." I mumured as I examined the four faces above me. Tohru gasped…Then squealed.

"Oh my! I knew you were coming! I did! I just didn't…They said you might not be coming for _months _and I just wasn't…Oh no! Nothing's ready! I don't have anything set up…Where will you sleep? Oh…" She trailed off. At this point, even through the cotton candy haze that pain had wrapped around my brain, I managed to notice a few things about Tohru. For instance: 1) She said 'oh' a lot, 2) She seemed like the kind of person who cared nothing for themselves, but so much about others it was maddening, 3) She seemed like a really sweet girl, even though I knew her mother had died and she had every reason to rise against everyone, and 4)…Well…She reminded me so much of mom that I wanted to cry and shout for joy at the same time. I wanted to jump up and hug her with all my might. For the first time in three weeks…I wanted to be happy. I ran my tongue along my top braces nervously.

"Tohru it's fine! You don't have to get worked up about this. It can be solved easily." Shigure (Once again…Weirdo Japanese names…Maybe I really should have watched Naruto with Maria…Or some kind of Anime…) said cheerfully.

"For reals." I said. All eyes glanced down at me. Crap. Having people pay attention to me was not something I was use to. "I mean…I could just sleep here…It's comfortable enough and all…" I murmured.

"Oh no! You can stay in my room!" She exclaimed.

"Okay. Whatever works for you will work for me." I replied while shrugging my left shoulder.

"Aw! Isn't that just sooo sweet of you! Look at my Azalea and our little Tohru! They're both just so cute!" Shigure exclaimed. No really…What was with the Azalea crap?

"SHIGURE!" Two voices sounded in unison, as a seriously pissed-off-looking Yuki and an identical looking Kyo glared at him. Weird. The first time I've heard them speak. Hmmn…?

"What? I was just welcoming my beautiful Azelea to our house! Look at her! She's so cute! And her braces! They're so adorable!" He squealed. To be honest he was kinda starting to creep me out. And that bit about my braces. Oh, dear lord.

"Yeah. Adorable." I rolled my eyes. Shigure peered down at me.

"You don't like them?" He asked in surprise. Like? Braces? Those words don't even belong in the same sentence.

"To be honest they're a real pain in my as— butt." I muttered under my breath. I had the feeling that Tohru was just a innocent as she appeared. I would not be blamed for corrupting her. Everyone but Tohru seemed to notice my almost-slip-up. What was with that? She wasn't very aware of her surroundings was she? "They make it hard to eat anything. I have this whole list of foods my orthodonist, Dr. Thampy, gave me of banned foods. It's seriously annoying. Dr. Thampy is always telling me, 'You can't eat any of those foods. It'll set you back in treatment. You don't want that. Then you'll be stuck with them for another year.' It sucks. I can't even eat that much meat." I word-vomited. This always happeneds when I get nervous. It's like I get diarrhea of the mouth or something. I end up telling people stuff that they really shouldn't know. I'd hate to think of what would happen if I started word-vomiting and then spilled my secret…

"Oh! Well I think that they look extremely cute on you! They make you look really pretty!" Tohru exclaimed. I looked up at her. And then I started chuckling. She stared at me in confusion, "Did I say something funny?" She asked her eyebrows furrowed.

"No…Well…Yes. You see, Maria would always tell me that. In the exact same words. Exactly how you said it." I smiled up at her.

Tohru nodded, "Who's Maria?" She asked while sitting down next to me. It was weird. I was about to start a conversastion with someone I had thought was a complete stranger, only five minutes before, about my life. Something about Tohru made you wanna do that. Just sit down with her and spill your guts.

I smirked up at her, "Well, she is the most annoyin—" I was cut off as I heard my ringtone echo around the room. Hollywood Whore by Papa Roach played out.

"_The cameras are gone. And nobody screams. She couldn't survive her fifteen minutes of fame." _

My first thought? Holy freakin' crap. Maria has some kind of sixth-sense. My second? My phone was off during the flight. Double crap. I sat up and looked around the room for my bag.

"_Her friends are all gone. She's going insane. She'll never survive without the money and fame." _

My eyes landed on the brown bag at least ten feet away. That was one problem in and of itself. The other? It was at the feet of Kyo Sohma.

"_It's all going down the drain." _ I tried to get up…But utterly failed. I looked desperately at the bag at Kyo's feet. If I didn't answer the phone Maria would kill me. I swear. She could get violent sometimes. I thought about telling Kyo to toss it to me but…I don't like owing favors. And this would be a big one. Especially if Maria had something important to say. _  
_

"_Hollywood whore passed out on the floor, I'm sorry but the party's over." _ Damn. If I didn't get to that phone in time I was screwed.

_Yes, and the only way to get to the phone in time…Is to owe a favor to Kyo. So…You're screwed either way really… _My very annoying voice of reason reminded me.

Once again. Shut up. Please. I can't take you anymore.

I only had one line of the song left before it went to voicemail. I had to make a split second decision…And I really didn't have time to think about any consequences.

"Quick! Kyo toss me the bag!" I said urgently as the sound of a guitar drifted to me from my bag. Kyo stared at me as if not comprehending what I was saying. "Toss. Me. The. Bag." I enunciated my words slowly. He blinked as if finally understanding. Then…He threw the bag to me. With so much strength, it almost knocked me over when I caught it. Weird. I started to dig around in the bag.

"_The talk of the town, and she's going down. I'm sorry but the party's over." _

I hit the green 'talk' button right before it went to voicemail. Thank God.

"ADDISON!" Maria screeched on the other side. I winced. The embarrassing thing? My sidekick broke two days before. You can only talk on it when it's on speaker.

"Maria—"

"ADDIE! OMYGOOD_NESS_ ADDIE! THANK GOD I GOT A HOLD OF YOU!" She shouted in my ear. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" She screamed. I sighed.

"Yeah. Peachy. Why are you screeching like a har—" I was cut off.

"ADDISON JENNIFER CLAIRA MARY-LOU ROAD! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU? HUH? I'M NOT SURE IF I WANT TO STRANGLE YOU RIGHT NOW FOR ALMOST SCRAING ME TO DEATH, OR HUG YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" She shouted again. I didn't say anything. She would just interrupt me again. I knew her. Silence. "WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?" She screamed shrilly.

I smirked, "You sound like my mother. And can you please stop shouting. It's unpleasant on my ears." I added just to be annoying.

"UGH! I CAN SCREAM AT YOU ALL I WANT! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT MISSED 5 OF MY PHONE CALLS!" She shot back. My smirk fell from my face as my eye twitched. Crap. I was already screwed.

_Told ya. So now you're in trouble with her _and _you owe Kyo a favor… _

SHUT UP STUPID INNER VOICE!

"Well…That wasn't entirely my fault…" I trailed off.

"You don't sound so smug anymore. Wiped that little cocky arrogant smirk right off your face, huh? Good. You always need to be knocked down a few notches here and there. You're too over-confident." She said in triumph. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together.

"Thank you Maria, for telling four people that I just met all of my faults." I shot back. I looked up when I heard chuckling. It was Shigure. Silence on the other end.

"What?" Maria asked in a flat tone.

"My phones still broken."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh and by the way…My smirk is back." I smirked at her even though I knew she couldn't see me.

"You know what? I was going to apologize for yelling at you but now I'm not. You smartass." She huffed on the other end. "But that doesn't matter. Where do you get off not telling me that you were moving to Japan?" Anger leaked into her voice. Man. I knew I'd be in trouble for that…Even though it wasn't my fault. "It's across the freakin' Ocean! Do you know how I had to hear about this? Through my parents. Do you know how bad that made me feel? To find out _after _my parents?" She asked in a hurt voice. I frowned.

"I'm sorry—" She cut me off. Again.

"Sorry? Is that the best you can come up with? I was at your house just a half an hour before your plane took off. You could have told me then." She said in a cold voice. I sighed.

"No. I couldn't have told you then." I murmured.

"Why not?" She challenged.

"Because even _I _didn't know I was moving to Japan. I found out minutes after you left. My uncle had left a voicemail. And I'm sorry for not calling you immediately and telling you. I guess I was just in shock." I said in a small voice. Silence on the other end. "Maria…?" I questioned.

"Well…He didn't tell you until _half an hour before you were suppose to leave!" _She hissed into the receiver. My eye twitched. I knew that voice. That was Maria's famous someone-is-so-gonna-get-punched-out-for-this-tone. "What a jerk. What complete bullpoop! What do you want me to do? Want me to stalk him in Paris? I can do that." She said calmly. I could tell she was trying really hard not to shout.

"No. He did what he thought was right. You can't punish him for that." I replied as I waved it away with my free hand.

"Hmph. You and your forgiveness. Are you sure? I mean, I have tons of friends in high places. I can make him disappear…" She trailed off suggestively. I stared at my phone in horror.

"Maria! No! Just like with Cooper, no!" I exclaimed in horror.

"Cooper? Cooper Saunders? Even his name pisses me off! I swear that boy has zero common sense, not to mention he's brainless…" She muttered darkly.

"Maria play nice. Cooper wasn't that bad…He was…Funny…" I trailed off trying to think of good things to say about him. I had to dig real dip. Seriously. Cooper Saunders was a mistake I wouldn't ever make twice.

"Yeah. Sure. He was about as funny as a heart attack. He was a total country-fried bumpkin idiot." She snorted derisively. I sighed.

"Behave. Besides, when you snort it makes you completely unattractive." I said to distract her.

"I can never be _completely _unattractive." She laughed incredulously.

"Sure, sure." I mumbled happy that I had gotten her off of the subject of people 'disappearing.'

"Anyways, besides your uncle being wack, we have other problems." She sobered quickly. "Lazuli and Jasmine escaped last night and I couldn't find then _anywhere. _I searched everywhere. I don't think they're in my house anymore." She paused for me to say something. I didn't. Jasmine…Lazuli…My pets. My favorites next to Bud. Jazzie and Zuli were my twin pet rats. I loved them dearly but I couldn't keep them and Bud in the same house after mom died. Mom was the Peace keeper. Without her, there was only chaos. Which was why most of my pets were currently living with different relatives. Zu and Jazz I had entrusted with Maria, the only person I could count on…And the only person who knows my secret. I hadn't had a choice. I had to send them away because Bud didn't like anyone but myself.

"They're gone?" I asked slowly, still processing.

"Yes…Hey, are you alright?" Maria asked gently. Where could they be?

"It's my fault…Maybe if I had tried harder…Done something…." I trailed off numbly.

"I don't think there was anything you could have done. And they'll be back. I'm sure they will." Maria lied to me to make me feel better. "Sorry about the abruptness, but I gotta go. Bye-Bye." She said into the receiver.

"'Bye." I mumbled. Then the line went dead. I closed my eyes. Why did I have to mess everything up?

"Addison?" Tohru asked tentatively.

"Yes Tohru?"

"Who's Lazuli and Jasmine?" I felt the corner of my lips start to pull up in a half smile.

"No one to be concerned about Tohru." I forced a smile. "Don't be worried." I reassured her. But she was worried. I could see it in her eyes. Those expressive big blue eyes. "Now. Did you want to show me where your room is?" I asked hoping to distract her. It worked.

"Oh of course!" Immediately she was at attention. "It's just up the…Stairs! It's up the stairs. Oh no! What are we going to do? You can't walk up stairs with your ankle!" She exclaimed as she started to hyperventilate. She looked like she was having a mini seizure. I had to do something to calm her down.

"Tohru it's fine…Just stop"-I held her shoulders trying to keep her from freaking out-"everything will be fine. Repeat after me: Everything will be fine…" I tried soothing her worry.

"Everything will be…Oh but it won't! What are we going to do?" She started to hyperventilate again.

"Hey Tohru…Chill." She paused to give me an odd look. "Just, chill…Calm down. I can get up the stairs if I concentrate hard enough. I'll be fine…" I trailed off as she started to nod her head in agreement. She started to breathe normally again. I only knew how to calm her down because of my mom. She was exactly the same way. Almost having a seizure over nothing.

"Okay…" Tohru still sounded a bit unsure.

I gave her a reassuring smile, "Though it's probably not a good idea to go up there right now. I only want to go up there when it's necessary." I added just to be clear. Tohru's eyes widened.

"Oh of course!" She glanced at my bag. "You stay right here and I'll go put your bag in my room!" She said as she grabbed my bag.

"You don't have to…" I protested weakly. If she were anything like my mother, she would insist.

"Of course I do! You're our guest, and a hurt one at that! I just want to make you feel comfortable and welcome!" She exclaimed. "I'll just be a minute!" She called over her shoulder as she darted out of the room. Yep. Definitely like my mother. There were a couple beats of awkward silence.

"So my little Azalea, I couldn't help but over hear something about cats earlier…?" He trailed off as he waited for an answer. Man. This was going to be embarrassing. What was I going to say? 'Oh, these psycho strays decided to tackle me, they're leader called me an Animal Talker and called you half-bloods.' Half-bloods…What did Leo mean by 'half-bloods'…I looked up and realized everyone was staring at me. I fidgeted under their gazes.

"Cat's?" Yuki asked as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes. I heard something about being tackled by cats?" There was obvious amusement in Shigure's voice. My eye twitched. Great. I was going to be known as the Freaky Cat Lady again.

"Well…I was walking towards your house here…And I heard something behind me and when I turned around this whole group of strays were there. Then they started coming towards me. Out of instinct I started to back away…That was when they all tackled me to the ground…" I trailed off as I grimaced. "That was how my ankle got sprained." I murmured, as laughter erupted from Shigure. I felt my cheeks heat up. I snuck a peek at the faces. Shigure was laughing so hard he was crying, Yuki shot an annoyed look at Shigure but was mainly confused, Kyo just stared at me in surprise.

Shigure was still laughing. I glanced at him. "It's not _that _funny. It probably looked comical though…" I smirked at the absurdness.

"Was there a reason why they tackled you?" Yuki asked in a quiet voice as he glared at the snickering Shigure. His voice seemed serene. It was nice.

I shrugged, "I don't know. It's a common occurrence so I can't blame it on Japan or anything." I said with a dismissive gesture of my right hand.

"So you get tackled by random stray cats on a daily basis? Why the hell would they do that?" I glanced up as I heard Kyo's frustrated slightly confused voice. I stared at him in surprise for a moment. "What?" He asked in annoyance. I lowered my gaze.

"Nothing…You just reminded me of somebody I know for a moment…" And that someone is my cat Bud. I added silently. I shook myself mentally. "And no. It's not _just _stray cats that tackle me on a daily basis. It's all kinds of animals…Strays, people's pets…" I trailed off as I saw Tohru round the corner.

"Did I just hear you say you get tackled by animals often?" Tohru asked in concern. I nodded.

"I have…This knack for attracting animals I guess. All kinds. Cats…Just like me the most." I explained as I picked invisible lint off my T-shirt.

"Oh…Well that must be wonderful! To be surrounded by all of those animals all the time!" Tohru said cheerfully. My eye twitched. Again. That was a never-ending thing today, wasn't it?

"Um…Not really…Definitely less than wonderful." I replied.

_Understatement of the whole damn year… _My inner voice said. For once, I agreed.

"What do you mean?" Shigure asked finally done with his laughing fit.

"Well…When I say all animals I mean _all. _I was hiking in the woods last summer and out of nowhere, I see these Cougars. My first reaction was to run. But I found out that they were surrounding me so I froze. They were all coming towards me. The one I assumed was the leader came up to me, leaned in…And licked my hand. I thought I was going to die. Seriously. Next thing I know they're all _purring and trying to get me to play with them. _I almost passed out from fear." I shook my head as I remembered Zuka the leader of the Cougars. What I didn't tell the Sohma's or Tohru was that I had had a conversation with Zuka and her followers. Turns out, they liked the way I smelled. (Not in the I-want-to-eat-you-for-dinner-way, but in the, you-smell-nice-so-lets-be-friends-way. Weird I know.)

Tohru's eyes were wide as I finished, "I would've been so scared! But they were probably cute, huh?" She asked with a smile. Yeah. Delusional. Like my mother. "You said that cats really like you?" She asked with a bright smile. I nodded to her. "Well, I think that's a good sign!" She said cheerfully. I didn't quite understand her but I let it slide because I had to ask a very important question.

"Speaking of cats and animals and whatnot…Do you like them?" I asked feeling weird for asking.

"Like what?" Tohru asked in confusion.

"Well, more specifically…Cats, dogs, and rabbits…?" I asked meekly.

"Of course!" Tohru replied cheerily. The Sohma's nodded.

"I'm curious my little Azalea, why did you ask that?" Shigure asked me a curious glint in his dark eyes.

I sat up, "Well…In America I have a lot of different pets and I managed to find most of them temporary homes…But there were three that I just couldn't find foster homes for…" And I just didn't want to give them up…But that was something different entirely. "And I was wondering if I could…Keep them here?" I asked in concern. I chewed on my bottom lip and searched Shigure's face. He smiled.

"Of course you can. As long as you clean up after them I don't see any problem with my Azalea having pets around the house." I shot him a relieved smile.

"Tell me, what do they look like? Oh I'm so excited to have pets!" Tohru blurted out as she gave me another 100 watt smile. I beamed her way. "Oh, what's their names?" She asked.

"Well, they—" I was cut off by loud knocking. That was probably my animals now.

Ready or not here they come.

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**A/n: I am so on a roll. Another chapter? Yes! It's strange. I usually don't update so often…Like chapter four is still in process. Okay people…I need you to review…Please. And I probably won't update again until Monday cause I'll be out of town and I'm not sure if my aunt has internet. So yeah, R&R! (Oh and sorry if there's a lot of mistakes I had to update in a rush if I wanted this to be done before I left.) **

**xxPARISxx: Thank you for reviewing again. I only put up chapter three because you asked me to. :] **

**~ XOXO EmiShae**


	4. Bud Pisses Me Off

**Chapter Four:**

**Bud Pisses Me Off **

***Disclaimer: I don't own Fruit's Basket. There. Jeez. You're all so mean for making me say it...  
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**A/n: So sorry! *dodges readers flying fruit* I know you're mad. Here! Read! Maybe it'll make up for it! **

**Marigold Winters: Thank you so so so so so so so so much for reviewing! It was actually your story The Carpet Cleaner that inspired me to write this one! Your review meant a lot to me! So this chapter is dedicated to you! **

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**_Review of story so far: _

_"Of course you can. As long as you clean up after them I don't see any problem with my Azalea having pets around the house." I shot him a relieved smile. _

_ "Tell me, what do they look like? Oh I'm so excited to have pets!" Tohru blurted out as she gave me another 100 watt smile. I beamed her way. "Oh, what's their names?" She asked._

_ "Well, they—" I was cut off by loud knocking. That was probably my animals now._

_ Ready or not here they come. _

* * *

"Hello? Anyone here?" I heard a guys voice call out. Tohru rushed to the front door and opened it.

"Yes. May I help you?" She asked brightly.

"I have a delivery for a Miss Addison Road. She here?" I heard the guy ask. I got up as quickly as I could and limp-walked to the door.

"I'm Addison Road." I informed the delivery person.

"Sign here Miss." He pointed to a line and handed me a pen. I signed. He took the clipboard back and walked back to his truck. He opened up the back and unloaded three beige animal carriers onto the front porch. "Thank you for your business." He tipped his hat, got back into his truck and was gone. I limped over to the carriers and undid one latch at a time. The first of my animals out of their cage was George, who was the only one who hadn't been asleep.

"ADDISON! ADDISON! WAKE UP YOU GUYS IT'S ADDISON! WE'RE IN JAPAN! OH I'M SO EXCITED!" George was jumping up and down. I watched him with a small smile on my face. He jumped onto my foot accidentally. I bit down on my tongue so that I didn't scream. I tasted blood. He was still standing on it.

"George…"

"Yes Addie?"

"George my…"

"What is it Addie?" He asked as he hopped a few more times.

"It's her foot George." Bonnie said as she hopped out of her cage sleepily. "Can't you smell it? It's hurt."

"Oh! I'm Sorry Addie! I didn't know you were hurt!" He yelped. I gave him a look that said it was okay. I couldn't talk to him with other people around. They'd think I was crazy. And I probably was….But appearances, appearances…George was distracted by said people. "NEW PEOPLE! OH LOOK THE GIRL LOOKS FRIENDLY!" George barked loudly as he started to bounce around Tohru. She giggled and started to pet him.

"Hey idiot dog, can you please just shut up. I had to listen to you whine about Addison the whole way here." I heard Bud's voice before I saw him. He lazily came out of his cage, stopped, stretched out his legs, and then sauntered over to me. When he reached me, he yawned. He looked up at me with his one blue eye and his one green eye. I could see that he was worried too. I smiled as I leaned down and scooped him up in my arms. "What do you think you're doing? You know I don't like being man-handled!" Bud tried to scold me with a stern voice.

"That's not true! You're fine with being man-handled by Addie. She's the only human you like." George said matter-of-factly to Bud.

"It's because she's the only human that's not an idiot." Bud meowed under his breath. That was the highest compliment you could be paid by Bud. I started to scratch him behind the ears as I held him close to my chest. He started to sniff me. "Hey, why do you smell funny? Your scent…Is strange…" He trailed off as I raised an eyebrow at him. He was about to explain further but was cut off.

"Oh! Look at him! He's such a cutie!" I heard Tohru squeal as I looked up at her. Bud's eyes widened as she neared and he leaned away from her.

"If she touches me I'll scratch her!" Bud exclaimed as she reached out to pet him. He uttered a warning growl and Tohru stopped reaching. I sighed. Tohru looked down at Bud in confusion.

"Why is he growling?" She asked worriedly.

"Don't take it personally. He treats everyone this way. He only allows me to touch him. His name is Bud, by the way." I said with an apologetic smile. I reached over to her and…Petted her hair. (That sounds weird but…) Tohru furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why are you…?" She questioned. I motioned for her to watch me. I took the hand I had petted Tohru's head with and rubbed Bud's face.

"What the…?" Bud sputtered, "What are you doing?" He growled at me. "And what's that smell? That strange scent that is on you is all I can smell now!" He complained as he glared at Tohru. I shot him a look that said 'be nice.'

"Go ahead and pet him now." I told Tohru. She frowned but started to reach towards Bud. Bud glared up at me.

"I'll scratch her I swear!" He started growling at Tohru again.

"Bud…" I said in my, if-you-leave-a-mark-on-her-I-will-never-buy-salmon-again-voice. He glared at me and then nodded slightly. Tohru petted his head gingerly. Then proceeded to scratch him behind the ears.

Bud looked up at me, "We done here, or what?" He asked bluntly. I gave him The Look. "I let her pet me. Can I go?" He asked impatiently. I nodded slightly. "Good." He got ready to jump out of my arms then paused as if he heard something that had interested him.

"What is that all about?" I heard someone mutter behind me. I turned my face in the direction of the voice and paused.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, well, I just…" Kyo Sohma trailed off as he bit his lip. I narrowed my eyes.

"I think what the idiot cat is trying to ask is; Why did you pet Miss Honda's head and then pet Bud?" I heard Yuki ask softly. Idiot…Cat…? Wha…?

"I think the better question here is…Why you called Kyo an 'idiot cat'?" I asked with confusion in my voice.

"Well, I, um, you see…" I stopped listening to Yuki because Bud started meowing rather loudly in my ear. I did not mean that to sound rude. Bud…Can be loud when he wants to be.

"Wait a second." Bud meowed as I glanced down at him. "Why does he smell like those two damn rats you like so much?" He asked as he peered at Yuki with a curious gaze. I gave him a you've-lost-it look.

What was all of this about the Sohma's scent? Why was it different? Why did they, 'smell funny' as Bud put it.

I didn't have the time to ponder this. Bud didn't give me a chance.

"Never mind…" Bud meowed under his breath as he prepared to jump away for the second time. He paused again, "And just because you forced me to let her pet me…" He flicked his tail in my face and his tail swiped across my nose. Cat hair went flying into my nostrils. He jumped out of my arms and bounded into the forest. I sneezed.

"BUD YOU BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND YOU BEFORE DINNER!" I sneezed again, "I SWEAR I'LL NEVER BUY SMOKED SALMON AGAIN FOR YOU! YOU DIRTY"-I sneezed-"ROTTEN"-I sneezed again-"CAT!" I shouted after him. That cat…Sometimes I just wanted to skin him alive. Tohru stared at me.

"Shouldn't we…Go after him?" Tohru asked looking in the direction Bud had run off.

I narrowed my eyes, "No. He'll come back when he's hungry…" I barely got the sentence out before I was seized by a major allergy attack. "Achoo, achoo, achoo, achoo, achoo!" I sneezed loudly. Dang allergies.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asked worry in her voice.

"That was not nice of Bud at all!" I heard George exclaim. I, 'achooed' again.

I stared up at Tohru through watery eyes. "Allergies…ACHOO!" I sneezed violently. I started coughing.

Tohru started flailing her arms around in the air, "Oh no! Addison, you don't look well!" She cried. I frowned.

"I know I j-j-j—" I sneezed. Couldn't even get a sentence out without sneezing. Dang. I tried again. "I need my…Bag…" I trailed off as my sneezing returned.

"Oh, of course! I'll be right back!" Tohru cried as she raced into the house. Meanwhile…I kept sneezing. Ugh. Flippin' cat. Had to go and shove his tail up my nose just to spite me. Tohru ran towards me with my bag. I grabbed it and started rifling through it as I continued to sneeze. I found what I was looking for. I took the allergy pill without water. My doctor had prescribed a special pill that took affect almost immediately. After 5 more minutes of sneezing I finally stopped. It wasn't like when I sneezed stuff came flying out…When I sneezed I just sneezed. I sighed in relief.

"You…Are…Allergic to cats?" I heard Tohru ask. She sounded surprised.

"Yep."

Silence.

"Well if you're allergic to them then why do you…That is…I mean…Um…I…" Tohru stuttered.

"I think what Miss Honda is trying to ask is; why do you have a cat if you're allergic to them?" Yuki asked in confusion.

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow at them, "My allergies aren't that bad…Just on certain days…And when their fur goes up my nose or gets in my eyes. Plus…Allergies is a small price to pay for keeping Bud." I looked at their curious faces. "Bud…Is…Well he's special. I really don't know how else to explain it to you…" I trailed off. What I really meant was that I wasn't ready to tell them why he was special. I shook my head, "Well, anyways, my dog is named George, and my rabbit is Bonnie. Be careful with her; she's crafty." I warned teasingly.

"Huhn. Single out the rabbit. Love ya too Addie." Bonnie replied sarcastically. I smirked.

"Oh no!" I glanced up at Tohru's outburst. She was staring at me in worry. "If you're allergic to cats then that means…!" She trailed off as her eyes flicked between me…and Kyo Sohma. Odd. Now why would she be doing that? Very curious. Tohru stopped and then looked like she had just shouted the biggest secret ever to the entire world. I frowned. What was it she was hiding? It was obvious she was hiding _something_. And it had something to do with cats…And Kyo.

"What do you mean Tohru?" I asked suspiciously.

Her eyes widened, "Um…uh, um...I…That is…I mean…" She trailed off. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. What if they somehow…Knew…My…Secret. I suddenly felt very sick.

"I-I don't feel very well…I think I'm jet-lagged…I think I might go and rest." I whispered my skin feeling cold and uncomfortable. Whatever Tohru had been worrying about she instantly forgot as she rushed to my side, now worrying about me.

"Are you alright? What is it?" She asked in worry. I kept a straight face but inside I was trembling in fear. What if they knew? What would I do then? They would never look at me in the same way. I would be treated as an outcast…A freak. That couldn't happen…I can't…No…I _won't _let that happen.

"I-I-I'm just tired…I'll be…Fine…" I swallowed hard.

"Addie…? Does this have anything to do with…?" Bonnie asked in a soft voice. I glanced down at her.

"What?" George asked as he came to stand beside me. "Oh Addie…That couldn't possibly…It was _not _your fault…" He trailed off. He was completely off. He thought I was blaming myself for my mother's death again. George turned to Bonnie when I didn't respond, "You don't think she's having another…Fit do you?" He asked Bonnie. I sighed in exasperation. So now when I was tired I was having a fit? Nice. "Because if she is…Oh, the only one who could ever stop those fits was Bud. Where did that cat go? He's so moody!" George barked in frustration. I held in laughter. As moody as a pregnant woman. Haha…

"Not your fault…?" I heard a questioning voice. My head snapped up as I looked into the eyes of Shigure Sohma. All of my humor at George's comment disappeared.

"What was that?" I asked sharply.

There was a heavy silence as Shigure and I held a staring contest. He broke eye contact first.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, it's not your fault that you're allergic to cats is all. Though it is quite ironic isn't it?" He started to chuckle, but there was a dark undertone to it that confused me. How was it ironic? My mind was too tired to process it. So I let it go. Which could have been _very _dangerous.

Oh well.

I started towards the stairs. George and Bonnie followed.

As I struggled up the stairs, I avoided eye contact with Tohru. I couldn't have anything, even my eyes, betray any of my secrets. I couldn't have them look at me…Like I was different…Or like, I was…Damaged goods.

That's already happened to me once.

And it can't happen again.

I won't let it.

* * *

**A/n: Hello people! I love all of your reviews and I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING WHEN I PROMISED….I got so busy with summer school…And now I'm in High School. (Officially a Freshmen!) But anyways, keep reviewing please! I hope this chapter was funny… Oh and this chapter is dedicated to Marigold Winters! She's a really fantastic writer, with awesome stories! (She's much better than I am…) And she reviewed on this story! I was so surprised that I fell out of my chair….It made me very happy. So if you have time I encourage you to check out The Carpet Cleaner. She wrote it and it is pure gold. It's an Ouran fanfic. So please, check it out, review and have yourself some nice chocolate chip cookies! Lots of love! **

**XOXO**** EmiShae **


	5. The Nightmare

***disclaimer: Fruits Basket. Not mine. Yet...I will own Kyo...Eventually...I SHALL PREVAIL! **

**A/n: Uhm, yeah, I was inspired all week. So this is the result...Well, not only this...The next chapter too...Which I'm almost finished with. Oh yes, and whenever there's a bolded number I explain something at the end of the chapter! **

**Also, a few 'thank yous': **

**..Rebels: First of all...I love your name. It's something I'd say. And thank you for the review! I usually don't like OC's who have 'special abilities' either, but I thought, well she doesn't have the ability to read minds so...I thought it was okay for her to talk to animals, and it'd make it interesting! (Or I could be completely wrong...)  
**

**.bear: Thank you for reviewing each time and I'm glad you're liking it! **

**Abagairu-Chan: Aw, thanks! This chapter was partly written because of your review! I hope you enjoy it!  
**

**'Kay. Let the chapter begin!  
**

* * *

_Review of last chapter_**: **

_As I struggled up the stairs, I avoided eye contact with Tohru. I couldn't have anything, even my eyes, betray any of my secrets. I couldn't have them look at me…Like I was different…Or like, I was…Damaged goods._

_That's already happened to me once._

_And it can't happen again._

_I won't let it. _

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Five: **

**The Nightmare **

After Tohru had given me instructions to tell her if I needed anything, and left the room, I wasn't sure what I should do. At the present moment the memories that I tried so hard to suppress were resurfacing. So I took my i-pod out and turned it all the way up; maybe then it would block out the thoughts. Stand In The Rain by Superchick blasted in my ears:

_"She never slows down. _

_She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down... _

_She won't turn around  
The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down." _

Okay so maybe it wasn't the best song to choose when my mind was currently emotionally unstable. I shut the i-pod off and tossed it to the ground. After staring up at the ceiling for a couple of minutes I decided that maybe, at least just this once, I should do what I said I was going to do; sleep. It shouldn't be so hard, since I was still tired from all the traveling. Even though it was only late morning.

I drifted into unconsciousness right after my head hit the pillow.

* * *

_*Diving into Addison's past #1*_

I was bouncing the ball, up and down, up and down. I was by myself. No one was near me—no one ever wanted to be near me.

My hair was in pigtails, I was wearing a thick winter coat over overalls and sneakers that said Barbie Girl! on them. I don't know why but every time I heard the ball smack against the concrete my breathing would hitch. _SMACK! SMACK! _ The concrete was wet, I could see my breath coming out of my mouth in little white puffs, and it had snowed the night before. _SMACK! SMACK!_ The ball kept hitting the wet, somewhat iced-over concrete.

I heard laughter behind me. I started walking faster. _SMACK! SMACK! _The laughter came even closer. Then abruptly…It stopped. Whispering ensued.

"….I heard that she killed someone with one of her cats."

"No, I heard it was a dog! She told the dog to kill someone who accidentally bumped into her." A different little voice answered the prior one.

"You're both wrong…" I tensed and then immediately froze at the voice that spoke next, "Aren't they Sopheara **(1)**?" The voice asked me. I swallowed as I turned around ever so slowly.

"M-My name's n-not Sopheara. You k-know that. I-I'm A-Addison." When I was nervous, or scared, I started to stutter. The child that I was talking to did not have a face. There was a body, and a head, but where the face was suppose to be, instead, there was nothing. Just black, like they were standing in shadow instead of standing right in front of me.

"Well, that doesn't matter. You might as well change your name to Sopheara anyway." The faceless boy sneered. I turned away and continued slapping the rubber ball on the sidewalk as I walked away from the faceless boys.

"Hey! Look at her! She tuned her back on you!" One shouted. I turned my face around to look at them.

"Get her." The leader said in a deadly calm voice. My eyes widened and I took off running as the red rubber ball, forgotten, rolled into a gutter. I was breathing hard because the winter air was sharp and made my lungs sting every time I drew in breath. I knew I wouldn't have a chance if I didn't take a shortcut. So I decided to run through the park. I ran as hard as I could, unfortunately, I didn't run fast enough. Just as I was about to round the corner of a tall slide, someone tripped me. I landed with a loud _THUD_ on the woodchips. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes.

Cheers of, "I got her!" Echoed throughout the empty park. I heard running footsteps…And then silence. I moved to stand, but was shoved sharply back onto my stomach.

"Stay down freak!" I heard a familiar voice yell at me. Jake. One of my many cousins. Jake Road. I started to tremble as I flipped onto my back to see my tormentors. I started to scoot back in an attempt to get away from Jake as he advanced towards me. "Where do you think you're going freak?" He asked viciously. I still only saw darkness where his face should have been.

"D-D-Don't c-call me that. I-I'm not a f-freak." I protested weakly. He leaned forward.

"What was that? You're not a f-freak?" He asked me mockingly, making fun of my stutter. My eyes flashed to the ground as I nodded. "Hmmn…What are you going to do about it? Freak." He laughed at me. And then…He started chanting, "Freak, freak freak…" He pumped his arm in the air and soon others joined him.

"FREAK FREAK FREAK FREAK FREAK FREAK!" The children chanted in unison.

"Don't…" I murmured as I backed away more. I screwed my eyes shut and tried to block them out.

"FREAK FREAK FRE-" The kids chanting was cut off.

"Stop it." A small, yet authoritative voice said calmly. All of the chanting ceased. I opened one eye cautiously. It was the first child. The one that said, 'get her.' I swallowed. "She isn't a freak." The voice said adamantly. My eyes widened in surprise. What was this? He was…Defending…Me? But he's…Jude, and Jude Road (another of my cousins) doesn't defend anyone. My heart started to pound. Perhaps….Perhaps….I wouldn't be so lonely anymore. Maybe…They'll finally accept me…?

"Freak is not a suitable name to call her…" Jude paused, "I think the term _monster _fits better though." He smiled cruelly as he stood facing me. My hope was shattered then. I wasn't a…I wasn't…

"Yeah!" Jake agreed quickly, always quick to please Jude, "MONSTER!" Jake shouted at the top of his lungs. He laughed again as others started calling me that.

"MONSTER MONSTER MONSTER!" They began to shout again. Tears welled up in my eyes.

I shook my head and my pigtails jerked back and forth violently, stinging as they smacked into my eyes. "I-I'm not! I'm n-not a m-m-monster!" My frail protest was drowned out by the numerous shouts.

Jake moved towards me and raised his voice to be heard over the din, "Hey! I have an idea…Let's get the monster!" He shouted and then there were the other little kids who shouted their agreement. Then…They all started moving towards me. I tried backing away again but stopped when my back hit a wall. I was trapped. My heart started to beat faster, my breathing hitched and my eyes started to burn more than before. I was terrified. What would they do…? What if they…?

Suddenly someone delivered a sharp kick to my side, which knocked the air out of me. My eyes snapped open as I tried to stand, but Jake shoved me down again, "Didn't I say to stay down, monster? Stay where you belong…On the ground…Praying for your sins!" He laughed as if what he had said was the funniest thing in the world. I stayed down but tried desperately to crawl away.

"Look! She's trying to crawl away! How very pathetic!" I heard someone sneer as Jake landed another solid kick to my right side. I heard a definite _CRUNCH _and then the force of the kick sent me sliding across the wet wood chips. I doubled over in pain as my side burned with every breath I took. Tears streamed down my face freely now.

"She's crying now! Ha!" I heard another kid snort in laughter. How…? How could they all just stand there and watch and do…nothing? Or…Even participate…? How…Could they do this to me? How could they be…So cruel…?

"Oh, Sopheara." Jude's calm voice silenced the others. I looked up obediently. He shot me a cruel smile before he brought his foot down hard on the middle of my back. I had been on my hands and knees, so the impact of his foot flattened me to the ground. "You should have known better…Than to play by yourself." He said softly. Jude was 10. Two years older than me, 8. I started to cry even harder. Was there no one? Was there no one who knew…That this was wrong? Was there no one who knew…That I was not a monster? Was there no one who thought this way? Would anyone save me? Or…Would they keep beating me until they got bored? I started to cry more…In hopelessness.

"MONSTER MONSTER MONSTER MONSTER!" They chanted again. I felt the frustration starting to boil over.

"I'm n-not a monster!" I gasped through my pain.

"Hey! Let's teach the monster a lesson!" Jake called. Then, to my horror, out of his pocket he produced…A knife. A switchblade to be exact. He opened the knife with a swish sound. Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw the silver gleam in the weak overcast light, of a New York winter sun. I swallowed hard. Was there not one kind face…? Someone…Please…Save me. I thought desperately. But I had already realized that not one of the children here would do that. Jake advanced with the knife. As he started to lean down it was like everything went into slow-mo. Tears stained my cheeks as I gathered the last of my remaining strength to shout,

"I AM NOT A MONSTER!" Just as Jake brought the knife down to the hairline at the back of my head. The steel of the blade was cold as he started to press down.

"Now, let's see what this monster is made of inside. I wonder if her soul is truly as black as oil, as they say…" Jude's voice rang out.

I screamed.

* * *

"No!" I shot ramrod straight up in bed. My hand automatically went to the back of my neck…Where my scar was. That scar. The one that reached from the hairline on the back of my head to my lower back. It was faded and pink now…But if my hair was in a ponytail you'd be able to see it. Wait a minute…In bed…A dream. Oh yes. _That _dream. That horrible dream. I closed my eyes as I shivered. I was covered in sweat, my bangs were sticking to my forehead and my face was wet from tears. I swallowed hard. I stood with some effort (My ankle still throbbed) and, careful not to wake Tohru, who was sleeping on the floor beside the bed (I made a mental note to apologize for that later) I slipped out of the sliding door. I tripped over my feet (Hurting my ankle more, I might add) towards the bathroom (I knew it was there because Tohru had given me a complete tour of the upstairs earlier) and opened the door. I limped to the mirror. What I saw made me sigh.

I looked like complete crap.

There were dark circles under my eyes, which were red, most of my hair was plastered to my head, and the hair that wasn't was sticking up in weird places, there were tear tracks down my cheeks and I looked whiter than usual. In other words…I looked like Medusa in the morning.

Swell.

I turned away from my reflection, choosing not to deal with it right now. It'd probably bite me in the butt later but, I figured I'd deal with it then. I limped back to the room and eased myself back onto the bed. George and Bonnie were both sleeping soundly with Tohru on her bedroll.

After about half an hour of tossing and turning, I decided that I wasn't going to fall back to sleep anytime soon. I was too awake and too restless for that. I stood up and tip-toed out of the room again.

My tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth, and it was hard to swallow. Stupid nightmares; they always did this to me. I probably smelled sweaty too. You know; like a volleyball player that just finished playing an all-day-long tournament. I contemplated drinking out of the facet in the bathroom, but eventually vetoed the idea; I was somewhat of a germaphobe, so sue me. I determined that it would be a good idea to get a glass of water and while I was at it, some fresh air.

Therefore, I proceeded to struggle down the stairs.

* * *

**A/n: So. I updated in a time span of weeks, rather than months. Are any of you proud of me? Eh? EH? Hmmn. Guess not. Anyways, R&R! **

**(1) Sopheara: **First of all you pronounce it SO-FEAR-UH. Just wanted to make that clear. And...You'll find out why he calls Addison that in the next chapter. The story...Is sad...But you'll have to keep reading to find out! **  
**

**XOXO**** EmiShae **


	6. The Leeks Are Poisoned

***disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket...T.T **

_Review of last chapter: _

_ My tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth, and it was hard to swallow. Stupid nightmares; they always did this to me. I probably smelled sweaty too. You know; like a volleyball player that just finished playing an all-day-long tournament. I contemplated drinking out of the facet in the bathroom, but eventually vetoed the idea; I was somewhat of a germaphobe, so sue me. I determined that it would be a good idea to get a glass of water and while I was at it, some fresh air._

_ Therefore, I proceeded to struggle down the stairs._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Six: **

**The Leeks Are Poisoned **

20 tortuously high steps later, I was leaning against the wall on the first floor, panting and swiping sweat off my upper lip. I stayed like that for a few moments, before limping most severely, I might add, towards the kitchen. I stumbled to the refrigerator, swiped a bottle of water, **(1)** and leaned against the counter as I downed it. After the water was gone, I crumpled the bottle. Then I set out on a journey to…Find the trash can. Exciting, right?

I found the trashcan under the sink. I never did understand why people put their trashcans under the sink. I mean, wouldn't it be easier to leave it out in the open for guests and stuff? And wouldn't—

_Why are you thinking so hard about trashcans? _My inner voice asked in boredom.

Why do you always pop up?

_If you haven't noticed until now, I only pop up when you're doing something exceedingly stupid. _My voice of reason shot back.

What's that suppose to mean? And, that's so not true!

_Oh really? Do you actually believe that? What? So you think that I'm here and inside your head _just _to listen to your boring thoughts and provide comments for _your _benefit? You haven't noticed that every time I speak to you, and you ignore me, you end up getting in trouble? Do you think I enjoy being stuck in here? It's like being trapped in a never ending loop of stupidity. _**(2)**

Well, that wasn't ranting at all.

_I've been stuck here way too long. I think you're idiocy is starting to rub off on me. But, I suppose that would happen, seeing as you're the only one that can hear me. _

I think I'm glad that no one else can hear you, Sopheara.

_Perhaps I am too. Perhaps… _

Her voice faded as her awareness seemed to move towards a corner in the back of my mind, settling down there, as it appeared she was attempting to rest.

Oh yeah. That's probably something I never mentioned before…I have this voice in my head…Named Sopheara. It sounds crazy. It truly does. But…I'm not crazy…I swear.

You see, Sopheara…Is someone's actual consciousness living inside of my body.

Yes. That totally sounded like it belonged on the Sci-Fi network. No. I am not an alien.

I'm just…Cursed. I guess that's what you would call it.

Sopheara…Is an ancestor of mine. In addition, it's because of her that I can speak to animals. It's a long story. A _very _long, sordid tale of true love, betrayal, a murder most foul, resurrection, a promise made that could never be broken, and a curse.

But that's a story for another time…

At the moment, I just wanted fresh air to chase away the remnants of my horrible nightmare.

I limped to the front door and slid it open. I didn't bother to put my shoes on as I stepped outside onto the porch. It was cold and hard beneath my bare feet. I hopped (On my left foot) down the few porch stairs and landed on the grass. From there I continued to walk to the middle of the yard. Once I got there, I just stood there. I closed my eyes while curling my left foots' toes into the damp grass. The night air was crisp and smelled fresh. Very different from the house, which had been getting claustrophobic to me. (Yeah, I'm claustrophobic too. Deal with it.)

"Have you been thinking about what I said?" I heard a familiar voice sound from in front of me.

My eyes snapped open to see…Leo. The rat-crap crazy stalker cat that sprained my ankle. Why was my life so weird…?

"I was thinking about you being a crazy, truly deranged, psycho stalker cat." I replied dryly. He seemed to grin at this.

"Well?" He disregarded my prior comment about his mental health, as he pressed on.

"To be honest? Not really. No. I've had _much _bigger fish to fry." I mumbled under my breath, "Plus, it hasn't even been a whole day yet." I added in an after thought.

"It's almost been 20 hours. I left you when the sun hadn't even reached the tips of the trees yet, and the moon is high in the sky now." He replied as he started to lick his paw as if in boredom.

I sighed as I started to rub my temples. "I haven't even tried to understand what you meant yet."

"Well, if I were you, I'd try. Real hard." Leo's ears pricked and swiveled towards the house. "I can't stay and talk with them around. It's not safe." He meowed as he headed for the woods.

"Wait a minute! You turn up out of the blue, spout some sort of crazy, _again, _and now you're just gonna leave?" I asked in slight outrage.

"Sorry about your ankle Animal Talker. Oh, and don't eat the leeks. They're poisoned." Leo threw over his shoulder before he disappeared into the shadows. He dodged my question. What the flock?

"Don't eat the leeks. They're poisoned." I mocked Leo in my false generic guys' voice. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" I asked myself in confusion and hopelessness. "Stupid confusing cat." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that about a cat being stupid?" I heard someone ask from behind me. I spun around while uttering a strangled squeak. Kyo Sohma stood in front of me. What. The. Hell. Was today freak-out-Addison night? Jeez.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on people you just met." I muttered, purposefully not answering his question.

"I didn't sneak up on you. You just didn't hear me." He defended. His eyes held curiousness in them. But also…A certain…Distrust. His eyes narrowed as he asked, "Why are you out here in the middle of the night anyway?" He asked in suspicion.

"Why are you?" I turned the question around on him. His eyes narrowed even more.

"I was on the roof," He paused, "When I heard voices." He finished with a questioning gaze. The roof...? I wondered briefly before realization dawned on me and I started to sweat. Well crap. What if he saw me holding a conversation with a cat? How the hell would I explain that?

_You wouldn't. You'd just be admitted to an insane asylum. _Sopheara's voice echoed faintly from her corner, as her awareness shifted a bit, as if trying to find a comfortable spot.

I decided to ignore her.

"I couldn't sleep. And as for the voices I was…Talking…To…To…Myself?" My voice came out as a question as I tried to think of ways to explain the 'voices' and not sound crazy. Wait a minute. He said voice_s _as in plural.

_Good job. You're getting more intelligent every minute. _

Ah, shut it. If you didn't notice, Sopheara, I was talking to Leo, who happens to be a cat. Kyo shouldn't have been able to hear Leo's 'voice' only a meow.

_Hmmn. Interesting. Perhaps this is something worth paying attention to. _

Smartass.

_Don't you know it. _

"Talking to yourself? That's the most stupid excuse ever." Kyo snorted. "Who was here?" He inquired.

I cut my eyes to him and said sharply, "You said 'voices' but I was alone." I insisted.

"No. I'm not stupid. I heard a guys' voice. And it definitely wasn't that damn rat Yuki's or Shigure's." He replied getting frustrated. Damn rat Yuki? Wha…? How odd.

Why is it that Yuki called Kyo, 'the idiot cat,' and Kyo called Yuki, 'that damn rat'? Intriguing.

_They sound like Tom&Jerry. _

How the hell do you even know what Tom&Jerry is? You've been…Not-out-in-the-world, since like….The 1700's…

_You really are stupid. If I have lived in your body since the day that you were born, then wouldn't that mean that I saw what you saw? Like Tom&Jerry, the television show? _

…Whatever…

"Well, Kyo, what if I told you I was just venting to an animal that wandered up to me?" I asked in irritation. Kyo looked skeptical.

"No. I heard two separate voices. You stupid or something?" He asked in an annoyed voice. What did he just call me?

_Stupid…_

I know I heard him.

_Then why did you ask? _

Because I couldn't…Why am I trying to explain this to you?

"I'm _not _stupid." I growled while getting in his face, "But maybe _you _are. I was speaking to an animal! A cat to be exact!" I nearly shouted in frustration. Kyo froze when I said 'cat'. Hmmn…

_There's something fishy going on here… _

Yeah. There is. But…I'm not sure if I care.

_What? You're not sure if you care? Well that's rich, coming from you. _

Cheese it.

I sighed as I leaned away from him and rubbed my forehead in exasperation.

"Right." Kyo mumbled under his breath. An emotion that I couldn't identify graced his features. Sadness…? Wait a minute…

Kyo went to turn around and I quickly grabbed his arm. His muscles were tensed, as if ready for a fight.

"Hold up. Now you're just going to suddenly accept my answer?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah." His simple reply was quiet. I narrowed my eyes.

"Listen. I don't know what it is with you and cats but…" I paused noticing how his whole body tensed when I spoke, "But…I'll just ignore it. I have too much weird going on in my life right now anyway." I muttered as I released his arm. I turned away from him and limped a couple feet away. "Tell you what; I'll pretend like I don't know anything about you and cats…And you don't tell people that I yell at animals. It's not ideal for people to think I'm crazy."

_People already think that you're crazy. _

You're so not helping.

_Did you think I was trying to? _

Meanie.

A few moments passed by with no reply from Kyo, so I assumed that he had left.

I sighed as I began to lower myself to the ground.

"What are you doing?" I jumped slightly at the sound of Kyo's voice. Apparently…I had assumed wrong.

I twisted my upper body around to glare at him, "I thought you were already gone. Didn't I already tell you that I didn't care?" I asked quizzically.

"Yeah, but…" He paused as he looked at something over my head, "But why…Aren't you…I dunno, freaked out, or curious, or _something…_" Kyo trailed off, as he paused again, "It doesn't seem…Normal."

If only you knew how very normal I am not.

_Yeah, then he'd run away screaming. _

"I guess…That I just…Don't have any interest in other people…" I murmured quietly. And it was true…In a way. I didn't like people, people didn't really like me. And I wasn't particularly curious about Kyo and his thing with cats. Sure it was intriguing, but, if he wasn't going to tell me, why press the issue? Secrets are secrets. And some secrets are better left alone.

_Yes, many… _Sopheara murmured as her interest in my thoughts and my conversation with Kyo faded. I suppose, that I am like her in a way; nothing keeps me busy for long.

Kyo raised his eyebrows, "No interest in other people huh?" I nodded, "You are stupid." He muttered as he turned to walk away.

"Nah. Just trying to protect you…" I whispered. No interest in other people. It wasn't completely a lie. When people see I'm not interested in anything they have to say…They usually leave. But I do it because…Because every time…_Every time _someone is close to me they get hurt. Maria? She's been hurt by me so many times I can't even remember the number. Kyo had paused, apparently.

"You coming inside?" He asked in a blunt tone. He said it like he hadn't even called me stupid.

I blinked, "No. I think…I'll stay out here for a while…" I said quietly.

Without another word Kyo strolled up to the house, went inside, and closed the door. My eyes narrowed.

He _was _intriguing.

It's a pity that I won't be around long enough to find out more about him.

After all, Jude will come for me, eventually.

He always does…

* * *

**A/n: Hey guys! Another update? YESSSS! Please tell me if Kyo was a little ****OOC****! I'm really nervous about that. ANYWAYS…R&R! **

**(1) I don't know if they have bottled waters but...Yeah... **

**(2) Is it just me, or does Sopheara sound like Hiro there?  
**

**XOXO**** EmiShae**


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